Memories of Ash – Intisar Khanani

In the year since she cast her sunbolt, Hitomi has recovered only a handful of memories. But the truths of the past have a tendency to come calling, and an isolated mountain fastness can offer only so much shelter. When the High Council of Mages summons Brigit Stormwind to stand trial for treason, Hitomi knows her mentor won’t return—not with Arch Mage Blackflame behind the charges.

Armed only with her magic and her wits, Hitomi vows to free her mentor from unjust imprisonment. She must traverse spell-cursed lands and barren deserts, facing powerful ancient enchantments and navigating bitter enmities, as she races to reach the High Council. There, she reunites with old friends, planning a rescue equal parts magic and trickery.

If she succeeds, Hitomi will be hunted the rest of her life. If she fails, she’ll face the ultimate punishment: enslavement to the High Council, her magic slowly drained until she dies.

Memories of Ash is the highly anticipated sequel to Sunbolt, Book 1 of The Sunbolt Chronicles.

This is the novel-length sequel to the novella Sunbolt that I enjoyed so much a few months ago. Sunbolt is on the longer end for a novella, so if you’re not normally a fan of shorter works, please don’t skip it! I believe this was planned to be novella-length as well, but grew into a novel. Not a bit of the extra length is extraneous fluff, either – this is rich and glorious and exceptionally fun noblebright fantasy. I was a bit worried that one of my favorite characters was gone for good, but we meet some old friends as well as new friends and allies to counter old enemies and new dangers. Intisar Khanani is one of my new favorite authors, and when the third book in this series comes out, I will probably get them all in paperback.